Shaft-bearing.



H. G. MASTERS." SHAFT BEARING. APPHCATION HLED JULY 7.1915.

Pa ,ten'wd M11220, 1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY CLARENDONI' MASTERS, OF HAMIL'J ON, BERMUDA.

SHAFT-BEARING.

Toall whom it may. concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY CLARENDON MASTERS, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at Hamilton, Bermuda, have invented certain 'newand useful Irnprovements in Shaft-Bearings, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanyin drawing.

My invention relates to. shat bearings and has particular reference tothe stern bearings of power driven vessels.

The object of my invention is to produce a hearing which shall besimple, economical to manufacture, easy to adjust and keep tight,uniform and smooth in respect to its bearlng surfaces, and durable, aswell as efficient throughout its entire life.

I attain myobjects by making the casing or journal box of meta with itsoutside of indeterminate or any desired shape, and an internal borepolygonal in section anl longitudinally tapering. In this box I insert asectional bearing sleeve or liner, tapered to fit the taper of the box,and otherwise shaped so as to have the same cross section as the borethereof. This sleeve is split longitudinally into equal parts, thedivision planes passing through the axis of the bear- 1n and bisectingthe external angles of the polygonal figure in' the bore.

By this construction I produce a number of sectional slips, all exactlyalike, and each tapered on every face. The result is when a suflicientnumber of these slips is assembled and inserted in the box around theshaft,

they only need to be pressed home in order to automatically assumepositions in contact with each other on the'shaft and with the'boxforming a continuous liner or sleeve which may be forced in against thetaper of'the box to compensate or wear on the surface, thereby keepingthe bear ing tig t andthe bearing surface trueat all times and under allconditions.

Myuse of a polygonal figure in the bore of the box is primarily to avoidnecessity for radial slots such as heretofore have been cut in similarjournal boxes, to receive feathers or other projections on the liners orsleeves, in order to prevent turning of the latter the box. Such usehowever, has the additional advantage already pointed out of making auniform taper and a standard section from which a complete sleeve orliner can built up.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ing. The box is Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

Application filed July 7, 1915. Serial No.2 8,523.

of a complete journal box embodying my invention with it shaft showntherein in full lines.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the cap removed.

Fig. 3 is an inner face view of the cap and Fig. 4 isa side view of thesame.

Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are respectively a perspective, a plan view, asideview, and a large-end view of one section of the sleeve or liner.

Referring 'tc the drawings, B designates the journal box, provided withears or lugs 12 conveniently formed for attachment to the stern post ortirust abutment on a boat, or to the base or support of a stationarybearprovided with a taper bore 6' which is specifically illustrated ashex agonal (see Fig. 2). The outside of the box the bearing with 1s ofanydesifed shape, preferably cylin- I drical, threaded at its inner endto receive the cap C and :i locking ring R.

' The sleeve or liner which I use in this box may; be of any suitablematerial, such as Babbitt metal or the like, but I- preferligii'um-v'itae, because among other things it gives the best results inwater and especially in salt water. The sleeve is formed in the presentcase of six sections, each tapered with respect to all its longitudinalsurfaces, withthree straight sides and u curved inside forming an ar: ofthe complete bearin These sleeves are inserted around the sha t in thelarge cu l of the box, their straight backs being of the properproportions to anal taper in the slips together, and produce a-snearlyas possible a continuous and homogeneous liner the cap 0 is screwed downon the box, until its concentric i1 lternal annular flange 0 is forcedagainst tl e ends of all the slips, wedging them firmly into position.When the cap has been suflickntlyset up, the rin R is screwed down uponit. Obviously thls ring forms no direct part of the present inventionand other locking means may be employed, as for example one ormore-screws, pins or keys, inserted through slots in the abutting edgeof the cap and taking into openings in the end of the box. Such lockingdevices are well known and a number of alternative forms will readilyoccur to any person skilled in this art.

As wear occurs in -this bearing, it may be compensated as long as theliner remains in serviceable condition, by simply screwing up the cap,which will thereby force the liner farther and farther into the box. Byreason oi? the taper, in'actically the same conditions will always existbetween the sections of the liner and between the liner and the shaft sothat uni't'orm ellicienc is maintained. Simplicity and economy inmanufacture as well, as case of assembly and repair are obvious he. rustmy entire sleeve or liner is made up by scmoling a number oi very simpleunits which are all the same and interchangeabl The liner as a whole isdesignated L, an its several sections (in Figs. 1 and as 5 Z Z Z, Z and7". In Figs. 5 G 7 and 8, since the individual unit slip interrhangmable with every other slip, the section ill -strated is designated as Z.

I am aware that some changes may be made in this embodiment of myinvention without departing from. the spirit thereof and it is to beunderstood that I contemplate all non-essential changes andmodifications which fairly fall within the scope of the ap pendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Pat ent is:

1 A haft h ring am-prising a box witn a tapered polygonal bore, and asleeve or liner composed of a plurality of tapered slips-assembled inthe bore with their inner faces forming a cylindrical bearing surftogether with means attached to the box in overlapping relation to thotapered walls of v the bore to force said slips into the bore around theshaft.

2. A. shaft bearing comprising 5 box with a tapered polygonal bore, anda sleeve or liner composed of a plurality of tapered Slips assembled inthe bore with their inner faces a forming a cylindrical bearing surface,to- Ml gcther with a cap ring attached to the box in overlappingrelation to the tapered walls of the bore and adapted to be forcedagainst the ends of all the slips to wedge them; tightly into the boreand around the shaft. 58

3. A shaft bearing comprising a box with, a tapered polygonal bore, anda sleeve 'or liner composed of a plurality of tapered slips assembled inthe bore with their Inner faces forming a cylindrical bearing surface,60 together with a cap ring threaded on,the outside of the end of thebox and having an internal flange surrounding theshaft and abuttingagainst the ends of all the slips, and adapted to Wedge the same tightlyinto the bore and around the shaft as the ring is screwed down, i

4. A shaft bearing comprising a box with a tapered polygonal bore, and asleeve or liner composed of a plurality of tapered slips assembled inthe bore with their inner faces forming a cylindrical bearing surface,togetli'cr with a cap ring threaded on the outside of the end of the boxand having an in;

ternal flange surrounding the shaft and abutting against the ends of allthe slips, and adapted to wedge the same tightly intothe bore and aroundthe shaft as the ring is, screwed down, and locking means for said cap.I

5. In combination with a journal box having a tapered bore, a bearingsleeve or'liner composed of interchangeable sections or slips, eachtapered all over and a follower for said slips engaging said journal boxin overlapping relation to the Walls of said tapered bore I 2 lntestimony whereof I affix. my signature Witnesses A. C. J onus, W. N. J.SKEEN.

